


Detective Zimmermann: Providence P.D

by RedJumper



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Crime, Jack's 30th, M/M, Rated t for idk crime mention, no hockey, well there's FBI agent!Kent but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25556161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedJumper/pseuds/RedJumper
Summary: Little snippets of how Jack handles being a detective - including mishaps with coffee, having to deal with multiple of his exes, his thirtieth birthday and pancakes.
Relationships: (mention), (past), Alexei "Tater" Mashkov & Jack Zimmermann, Alexei "Tater" Mashkov/Kent "Parse" Parson, Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Larissa "Lardo" Duan & Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: Jack Zimmermann Turns 30!





	Detective Zimmermann: Providence P.D

**Author's Note:**

> I DON'T APPROVE OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE POLICE, or the POLICE AS AN INSTITUTION. this FIC is purely for FUN but the media we CONSUME (including fanfic) can directly AFFECT our interaction with the world around us and how we VIEW certain people/institutions. So think CRITICALLY about what you CONSUME and how it can DIFFER form REAL LIFE. 
> 
> Don't own characters 
> 
> This is for Jack Zimmermann turns 30 and for the prompt - Detective/cop au. Because of that it is technically set in 2020 however it's set in an alternate reality 2020 because real life 2020 events are too complex/sad/exhausting and if I want angst it will come from putting characters in pain not reality. 
> 
> Thanks for creating the event. 
> 
> Enjoy this au.
> 
> So it's late as it's not the 27th (U.K.) anymore but I lost all energy to write check please this week and since I leave things last minute, this is late sorry.
> 
> Oh and also the crime is at one point investigated as a hate crime so warning? It's not in depth or anything

Their relationship wasn't perfect, Jack doesn't think it ever was. They had got together at what seemed like a good time but was really the worst possible time ever. Jack had just took his position at Providence P.D and Bitty had to finally announce his major. It had seemed like they both had their lives on track and were happy and free to be themselves. 

Then Jack overheard a comment one of the other beat cops made to someone and suddenly his relationship with Bitty took a turn for the worst. 

Between Bitty being allowed to be himself all over campus and Jack hiding all details of his private life at work, their shared interests weren't enough anymore. 

They had their first proper fight the day Jack made Detective. Then the arguments - most pointless and them just getting futerusted with each other - rapidly grew in frequency until the week before Bitty's graduation. Bitty had mentioned sharing Jack's apartment in Providence and Jack's hesitation was enough of an answer. 

They broke up. 

They broke up. Bitty moved to Boston instead of Rhode Island and Jack got over the person he had thought would be the man he married. 

They broke up and haven't seen each other since Bitty's graduation- because of course Jack still went. They hadn't seen each other for five years. Until now that is. 

Until now Jack hadn't had to see Bitty's golden hair or bright eyes, hadn't had to see that sweet smile or hear that southern accent. Until now Jack had thought Bitty still lived Boston and most definitely didn't own a bakery in Providence. 

The sirens and flashing blue and red catches up with Jack's brain. He blinks and focus his eyes back onto the scene in front of him. 

A broken window. Blood smears on the pavement. Bitty sitting on the back of ambulance with an bandage on his arm. Lardo putting a gun in an evidence bag. Oluransi talking to a witness. 

Jack watches out for broken glass as he walks over to Lardo. 

"SITREP."

"Dude, we aren't in the army." Lardo says. "Looks like home invasion gone bad."

"We have a body?" Jack doesn't remover seeing the ME and it's pretty hard not to causing the guy's height and habit for humming over the bodies. Creepy but memorable. 

"The dog was shot."

"On _purpose_?"

"Looks like the suspect aimed at the owner and missed. Oluransi's talking to him now." 

Hearing two voices rise in both volume and anger he turns towards the tape that was put up to secure the scene. He sees his worst nightmare - well one of them. 

He lets the brewing argurement continue for a few seconds and turns towards Lardo. 

"What does the FBI have to with this case?"

"You didn't hear?"

Jack just rises his eyebrows at her. 

"Right. Forgot you avoid all things Bitty related."

"The FBI is here for _Bitty_?" Jack knows his voice is a little to high pitched but seriously there is no way professional sweetheart Bitty - even if Jack isn't excalty his biggest fan - is involded with a federal agency. 

"No. His husband." Lardo looks to her right and notices the scene between a FBI agent and one of their best cops. "Isn't that-"

"Yep."

Lardo does her one rises eyebrow 'I'm definitely judging you' thing and Jack just shakes his head. It is not the time or place for this discussion. "Who's his husband?" Considering Jack didn't even know Bitty was married it seems like a good question. 

"He's a representative for Rhode Island in congress." Then Lardo looks at him as if he's the most oblivious person ever. "They've been married for two years. It made headlines, Jack."

Jack ignores her, nothing good would come out of discussing Jack's obliviousness to Bitty's marriage right now. All he knows is that they know have to investigate it as a hate crime - possibly LGBT related or political. 

He hears a threat of getting arrested and heads over to where the agent is now ducking under the tape and walking onto the crime scene. 

"I have shown you my badge. I am allowed to be here. Oh, hey Jack."

Jack looks over at the red faced Watson and informs him that the yes he does know this guy and yes the FBI are allowed here. Fuck, Bitty just had to marry a repserventive. 

"Agent Parson." 

" _Detective_ Jack Zimmermann." And Jack can't tell if his title is said as a insult or compliment. 

He and Kent have known each other since they were teenagers and had met one summer in NYC. Jack had been staying in a hotel with his parents while his mom was helping direct a short film and his dad was hiding from the NYC mayor who was trying to do a interview with the great Canadian police captain. Kent had been visiting the city from Rochester to visit his grandma in the Bronx. They had both be in same small bookshop at the same time. 

They spent the summer together and exchanged emails after Jack went back to Canada. Kent called a long distance relationship, Jack called it 'a not really a relationship because it's long distance'. They met up in Montreal the summer before they were meant to go to college. Jack showed him the quiet corners of the city and Kent was in awe. It was the beautiful sight he had ever seen at the time. 

Then it went down hill. Quick. Kent went back to the US, Jack overdosed and decided to postpone college for year, Kent picked UNLV over NYU and then they barely talked to each other. 

Until Jack found out Kent became a federal agent and a then still beat cop Jack had sent a very strongly worded email - and maybe a drunk voicemail - to Kent. Then Kent did it back and well now they talk to each other. 

Jack still hates the FBI though. 

-

"Are you still horrible at typing?"

"I went to college for four years."

"That's not an answer Jack."

Jack gives Kent a pointed look. "I had essays and a thesis to write, I had to get good at typing." 

After searching through their database, Jack finds the main area of work Bitty's husband works on and then he finds out whatever work it is over their P.D's has clearance for. 

Jack calls back Kent - who had wandered off the break room to grab them both coffee. 

Jack takes one of the cup of coffee from Kent. "Use your clearance."

Kent leans over Jack's desk to get at his keyboard and Jack can see the side of his mouth tug up. Damn, if he wasn't in the precinct he would slap him. 

It's as Kent does some fancy computer thing to allow Jack's old computer to load up some federal agency workaround-log-in-thing that it starts to sink in that his mess has very suddenly became a mess again. 

He and Kent have never had to work together before due to their vastly different circles in law enforcement. Now it looks like they have. 

At least Jack moved past the anger (and jealousy) - at least he's mostly moved on. It's just his dad phoned last week and kept moaning about his new job as commissioner and it just reminded Jack that he's never going to be able to match up to his dad. He can't be the youngest captain - then commissioner- of Montreal because he didn't go into law enforcement until after college where his dad had left high school early and joined the force. He doesn't even live in Canada anymore so there's no reason to still be hung up on it. 

Kent in his dad's eyes - at least from what Jack can tell via comments and the links his dad sends him in emails - is excellent. The FBI trumps detective for a local PD. 

His dad is proud of Jack, he does know this. Its just hard to remember sometimes. Especially after phone calls and especially after seeing Kent. 

The computer beeps and then beeps again. 

Access denied

"Looks like FBI agents don't get everything."

Kent glares and tries again. Somehow the beep gets lounger. 

He pulls on Kent's arm and starts to drag him out of the squad room. "I have a guy that can help us."

  
-

  
"If federal agencies took non US citizens, I would be poaching you right now."

"I have US citizenship."

"You can't steal my tech guy, Kent."

"I am free man, Zimmboni, I can go anywhere."

"Alexei, no."

"Jack, babe-"

"Kent, call me Babe, again and I will punch you."

"Physical assault on a federal agent is cause for arrest. Want me to cuff you?"

"I never expected you to be kinky, Jack."

"Oh, he very much- Ow!"

"Do not cuff me."

"It's cause for-"

"Found it!"

"Thank god."

-

So it turns out to not be a hate crime which is good. No dealing with messy politics or a crying Bitty, today. 

Bitty's husband isn't working on any major deals right now - or at least deals that people are reacting to negatively. The guy seems really nice for a politician, Jack is happy for Bitty. Jack however will mostly likely change his vote next time - well he'll changed it after he became a a American citizen. 

Their suspect just thought Bitty's house (and bakery) had looked wealthy and broke in hoping to steal something - still a crime but least severe and Jack doesn't have to deal with Kent anymore. 

"Jack?" He had thought someone had took Bitty home.

Jack spins around in his seat to face an uncertain Bitty. "Bitty. Sorry, I haven't been able to check up on you. I was busy running leads."

"Oh it's no big deal. I'm glad you found out why that evil man broke in and shot Buddy. It's lucky it had nothing to do with Scott, he was so worried he had put me in danger." 

"You should install a security system, in case it happens again."

"It won't happen again. But Scott had already ordered one so you two have that in common. "

Jack isn't about to ask what that is because he doesn't what deal what something that will make a mess. 

Bitty continues, "Happy Birthday by the way. I was going to send a card but I completely forgot to get one yesterday and then today this all happened. Thirty is meant to be the golden year so I hope you enjoy it." 

With that Bitty leaves the squad-room, meeting up his husband at the elevator. 

Jack opens his locked drawer and takes out the voucher his mum had sent with his present the other day. 

He looks across the squad-room. He can spy Kent through a window talking to Alexei - no doubt trying to convince him the FBI is so much better - so there's goes two of his options. 

Then he spots her. And really she was his first opinion. Lardo is leaning back on her chair on the phone and by the use of her gestures Shitty is no doubt telling her he has to stay at the office late again. She laughs and Jack knows Shitty just used whatever excuse Lardo gave him last time she worked late - he knows because Lardo does it back to him too sometimes. 

He waits until she hangs up. "Hey, Lards, wanna get some pancakes with me?" 

-

Jack uses the voucher in Lardo's food despite it being his present because even you're thirty they still have to give you free birthday pancakes. 

There's a whipped cream smiley face on them. Lardo uses her finger to move the cream to make a frown. 

-

It's not till the next day that he realises that Lardo had took a photo of him. 

On his desk waiting for him is framed picture of him frowning down at his frowny pancake. On the frame is a post note - happy late 30th ;). 

(It's payback for last year. Jack gave Lardo a photo of herself smiling at sandwich as a her birthday present.)

  
-

He doesn't end up getting anything from Bitty and it the first time in years that's happened. 

They hadn't spoken to each other for years until yesterday but Bitty always sent a card. 

Jack's doesn't think he minds but then he stomach twists a little when he looks t the space on his desk where he usually puts the card. 

-

When he came back form the filing room there's a pat it stuck in the empty desk space. There's a smile face on it. 

Jack smiles across the room to Lardo. 

-

He catches Ollie and Wicks gossiping in the break room about Alexei receiving a job offer. 

Kent get sent a very strong worded text. 

-

"Boo!"

There's burning coffee seeping through his shirt. He grabs the small pile of paper tissues that the coffee machine offers and starts to dab himself. It's only once he's checked himself for third degree burns that he turns to glare at Alexei. 

"Aren't you meant to be being wooed right now?"

Alexei tilts his head. "Yes but he cancels our date. Busy saving people and whatnot." He waves his hand to illustrate his point. 

"Date? I meant the job offer." Jack turns to set the machine to make another coffee. "You know, the one with the FBI?"

"The FBI can not handle me." Alexei continues as if that is a normal statement to make. "I did not get offer from them."

Jack faces him. "You didn't?"

"I got offer from CIA but not FBI."

"The CIA?" Jack knew Alexei was good but he didn't know he was CIA good. 

"Yep. Staying here though. I would miss you too much if I left."

"It's the CIA, Alexei."

"So. I help people here. I help people there. It's all the same. More money but who cares?"

Most people would care. But Alexei does have point - people get saved everywhere and anywhere and it's not like federal agencies care about the old lady down on Sycamore Street whose purse got stolen. 

"You said date, with who?" Jack takes a sip off coffee, watching Alexei carefully in case he makes him spill it again. 

Alexei's smile grows. "Kent."

Jack had to use up more napkins to clean up the coffee he spit out. At least his shirt is already ruined. 

"Kent Parson? Special Agent Kent Parson? The guy who helped us last week with Bitty?"

"Yes. He was busy tonight, someone got shot in Boston and he had to go there. We were meant to go see 1917."

"Saw the trailer, it's meant to be good."

"You like history, of course you'll say that."

"You also like history, Mr 'I can name all US presidents and Russians Tsars'."

"It not hard. I have tickets and the cinema won't take them back."

"Are they for tonight?"

"Yeah."

"I'll go with you. If you want, that is."

Alexei squeezes him. "Of course, Zimmboni. Meet at Star Cinema at seven." And with that Alexei lets go and leaves the break room. 

-

"What happened to all the napkins?"

Jack quickly shoves all the coffee stained napkins in the bin and closes his blazer so his now brown shirt is hidden. 

-

It while Alexei is shoving the last of the popcorn in his mouth that Jack says, "Thanks for not taking the job offer."

Alexei smiles. "I knew you would miss me."

Jack doesn't deny it. 

-

His phone wakes him up at 3am. It's Alexei because really who else would phone him in the middle of the night. 

The Happy Birthday song gets sung into his ear. 

Jack blinks the sleep out his eyes and tries to get his brain to work. 

"It's not my birthday."

"Yes it is. It's the 13th."

"It's the 3rd. Did you really call me at 3am to sing to me?"

"It is 3?"

"Go to sleep, Alexei." Jack hangs up before Alexei replies. 

-

A cupcake and an apology note appears on his desk. The cupcakes is delicious but the note is written on the back of a form he had needed to get signed. 

He finds a business card on Alexei's desk later that says 'Bitty's Bakery' and immediately knows where his late birthday cupcake came from (not that it took a master detective to find).

-

His dad sends him a link to a news article by the post. Instead of it being Kent's face staring back at him, it's his own. 

ZIMMERMANN SAVES CHILDREN 

Jack clicks back to the email - don't read the article if it's about you, he found that out the hard way. There's words along with the link. 

Well done. You mum and I are so proud. See you at thanksgiving. 

His dad never been one for email so Jack picks up his phone to call him. 

Maybe this conversation won't make his day worse. 

It doesn't. 

What does make his day worst however is walking into autopsy and finding Holster singing Who lives? Who does? Who tells your story? to a corpse while weighing a liver. 

He should be used to this. Unfortunately witnessing what apparently is a sacred ritual isn't one of the things that have gained the 'normal' status. 

He tries to sneak out out of the room with the file before Holster catches him by nope. 

"Oh hey man, happy birthday."

"That was month ago."

"Happy early birthday for next year then." And with that his hands are back in the body and he's singing again. Jack leaves. 

-

On his desk is a box. There's a very clear label that has 'NOT A BOMB' written on it and honestly that screams panic and threat. But the label is in Oluransi's handwriting so Jack opens the box. 

It's the box set of Planet Earth and a card that has 'Hap-Pea Birthday' on it. 

Either both Justin and Adam think it's still August or they really don't know his birthday. Both are plausible. 

-

David Attenborough's voice is luring him to sleep when his doorbell goes. 

It's probably saying a lot about his social life if his parents' surprise visit does nothing to interrupt any of his plans. 

-

His parents take him out for a meal since they couldn't get together for his birthday and Canadian thanksgiving is next week anyways. 

His mum has to sign an autograph but that's the only inconvenience that happens. 

Jack makes it through a conversation about work without wanting to throw up. 

His dad makes comments about him being single but laughs when Jack tells him about the pranks Alexei pulls. 

His mum smiles when he mentions watching 1917 and using the voucher on Lardo. 

His mum is an award winning actress and director, his dad is an award receiving commissioner and he may not have won any awards yet but Jack likes to think he's a pretty decent detective and son.

**Author's Note:**

> This is what five days late oops  
> Also just over 3000 words yay?


End file.
